by Jason Juniewicz
Butch Guice has had a rich history with Marvel. With projects dating back to the original incarnation of X-FACTOR to his current run on IRON MAN, Butch has definitely paid his dues and shown his love for the Marvel U. Maybe that's why he's decided to take the next big leap and sign exclusive with Marvel. "It was something I've been tossing around in my mind for some time now," says Guice, whose first name is Jackson, but prefers to go by Butch. "Marvel provided me with my start in the industry years ago. As a kid, I grew up reading Marvel comics daydreaming about drawing all those characters one day--but honestly, my first 10 years in the industry, certainly that entire first period I was at Marvel, I was simply too raw and unskilled to bring anything substantive to the work. I'd like to try again and hopefully improve on past performances. So once everything finally aligned and the opportunity finally presented itself, I couldn't have been happier about it."
Guice's career has been based on always trying to out do himself. He says that having a particular style has never been as important as trying to become a better all-around artist. When talking about his work since X-FACTOR, he doesn't talk as much about change as much as he does improvement. "Hopefully I've improved a bit," says Guice. "I don't really think about questions of my -style,' per se--I just try to stay focused on improving as an artist and storyteller. Whatever the fans might see as my current style, it's just the reflection of all the various lessons I've managed to finally absorb into my thick head and put into practice."
Like many artist's who've worked on a wealth of projects and characters, Butch finds it hard to pick a favorite. Equally enthused with each project and trying to keep his perspective fresh, Butch puts everything he has into anything he touches. "Honestly, I've had a great time with almost every project I've worked on at Marvel over the years," he explains. "When my enthusiasm diminishes for a title, generally I move on to the next one. Much of a favorite's appeal (at least for me) is that dazzling allure of getting everything on the page that would make it right in my mind--so my favorite always tends to be whatever I'm currently working on--which right now would be ULTIMATE ORIGINS. I'm really enjoying drawing it. Bendis has written a terrific story, and hopefully, I'm not dropping the ball so badly on my end that he'll never speak to me again."
Butch also notes that it's not just the characters that he loves to draw, but also the settings. And for him, the more wild, the more exciting. "I've always enjoyed drawing characters in exotic settings or with historical costuming--give me a character in African jungles, ancient Mayan ruins, the battlegrounds of WW II, the Old West--that sort of thing--and I'm as happy as an artist," Guice divulges. "I really enjoy doing all that extra research needed. I also like horror/suspense stories, so I'm excited seeing Marvel begin to revive some of their horror franchise characters. I grew up on those characters and would relish the chance to work on some of them."
Although Butch has put his mark on the X-books, IRON MAN and soon the Ultimate Universe, there are still some characters on his list that he's definitely itching to draw. "Besides [the] TOMB OF DRACULA and WEREWOLF BY NIGHT books, other favorites would include Killraven, Kazar (with Shanna and Zabu), Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, the Invaders and Black Panther," says Guice. "There are plenty of characters I'm still waiting to get a crack at drawing."
And speaking of ULTIMATE ORIGINS, Guice has nothing but positive things to say about his partner in crime on that book, Brian Michael Bendis, even though Bendis' schedule keeps him ever elusive. "We haven't had much interaction as of yet--Brian tends to stay pretty busy writing multiple titles and I spend most of each day drawing, erasing and cursing the limits of my talent--but everything so far has been a terrific experience," gushes Guice.
Check out IRON MAN #19 and #20, Shellhead's "World War Hulk" tie-ins to get a healthy dose of Guice and keep your eyes peeled to Marvel.com for plenty of updates on ULTIMATE ORIGINS!
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